Under the heading "deeply surreal..."

[lagilman]

I was watching tv when I heard something outside, what sounded like a voice through a loudspeaker -- but not a party-type speaker, an Official Emergency Alert voice loudspeaker. And flashing lights; several cop cars, and a truck, moving slow.

"Please go inside immediately... to avoid exposure to the pesticide, please go inside immediately and remain there until the truck has passed..."


Oh, right. I saw the announcement on NYC's twitterfeed: They're spraying for mosquitoes, to reduce the possibility of West Nile Virus.


Or...so they SAY....

Comments

[rosefox]

Oh good. I am very tired of getting skeeterbit.

[lagilman]

I'm not sure of the logic of spraying NOW, tho...

[rosefox]

The mosquitoes have been vicious over the past few weeks! sinboy killed a big one just the other day.

[lagilman]

Clearly they're getting distracted in your neighborhood before they march further north. I thank you for taking one for the team...

[usually I'm covered in welts the moment I step outside. They luuuuuurve my blood]

[ubiquitous-a.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's more than a little creepy. O_o

[otterdance.livejournal.com]

Didn't I see that on X-Files?

[lagilman]

Seriously.

[mtlawson.livejournal.com]

You never know, you just might find yourself growing an extra hand....

[neadods.livejournal.com]

How very Twilight Zone!

[camille-is-here.livejournal.com]

Grew up with trucks spraying the neighborhood for mosquitoes. Except back then they didn't warn people to go inside.

[mtlawson.livejournal.com]

My sixth grade teacher waaaay back in the pre-history of the 80's used to tell us stories about how she was growing up on a farm. One of the tales she mentioned was when the planes would come and spray DDT, everyone stood on the back porch to watch, and inhale the stuff when it blew their way.

How times have changed...

[camille-is-here.livejournal.com]

Yeah, we did that too. They were pretty emphatic at the time that it wouldn't hurt people and, in the grand scheme of West Nile/Malaria as your alternative, I suppose it didn't. It was devastating for birds, though.

[maryrobinette.livejournal.com]

Clearly zombies.

[rovanda.livejournal.com]

That was my thought too...

[lagilman]

yah, but were they looking to create them, or spraying for them?

*is struck by story-idea...*

[pbray.livejournal.com]

My recent trip to OBX included over 3 dozen mosquito bites, including a species that raised vicious welts. Despite liberal application of DEET based repellent-- if you missed a spot, or sweated it off, you were mosquito chow. If we'd heard the truck go by, we would have run outside to cheer :-)

Some of the riders commented on West Nile, so I then helpfully informed them that mosquitos in Florida have been found to be carrying Dengue fever, so they needed to broaden their concerns. I'm helpful like that.

[lagilman]

I'm helpful like that.

And that's why we love you...

[wolfsilveroak.livejournal.com]

They were spraying for zombies. *nods sagely*

[lmlawson.livejournal.com]

Good thing they weren't using black, unmarked helicopters.

[lagilman]

Been there, seen that.


(the days after 9/11, there were many Previously Unseen Aircraft in the region. You actually got used to it... a little.)